Former AFL player facing ‘life ban’ over incident

FORMER AFL star Rhys Palmer has come under heavy fire and faces a potential life ban after a bizarre and dangerous incident on Friday night in Perth.

Footage from a race shows the trotters making their way down the straight, before getting the final lap under way, when a shoe can be seen flying through the air before landing on the track and going under horses' feet.

Thankfully the missile didn't hit any of the horses or disrupt the race.

Shortly after the footage began to circulate, reports pinned Palmer as the culprit.

Police were then called to the track, Gloucester Park.

"Unbelievably, someone has thrown a shoe onto the track," the race caller said as the incident occurred.

"Security, please grab this man."

Palmer won the 2008 NAB rising star and made a name for himself as a member of the Fremantle Dockers before joining the GWS Giants.

After being delisted by Carlton following the 2017 season, Palmer returned to Western Australia and signed with Swan Districts in the West Australian Football League.

The club struggled throughout the 2018 season, finishing eighth on the ladder of nine teams and winning only six out of 18 games.

Palmer faces a potential life ban from racetracks.

Acting chief steward Rhys Chappell said: "The first shoe just missed leaders and the second shoe landed among midfield runners.

"We've never seen anything like this."

Winning driver Dylan Egerton-Green said it was a miracle the objects didn't hit any of the other drivers or horses.

"It was shock to see the first shoe coming," Egerton-Green said to the West Australian.

"The second one went between the legs of my drive.

"We were running fourth and on the outside at the time.

"It was miraculous that no horses faltered. Most of them are inexperienced pacers."

The moment instantly brings to mind Austin Powers' "who throws a shoe" proclamation and in ruthless fashion Palmer's Wikipedia page has already been updated with the dangerous act.